The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival is Edmonton’s largest wine and food event. In its tenth year, the event transforms a part of the Shaw Conference Centre into a Grand Tasting Hall, showcasing both wineries and restaurants from across the province. It runs October 21-22, 2011.
It was one of the first wine tasting events that I ever attended, back in 2007. Although there are similar events that have preceded it, and many that have sprung up in its wake, I appreciated the nature of this one. Unpretentious, it was a great way for someone like me who was just starting to explore the world of wine to try a good variety without feeling like I was being judged for my lack of knowledge. That said, I’m sure more experienced wine drinkers would enjoy the festival as well, sampling and talking to the wine reps in the laid-back atmosphere. The list of the 2011 wineries is here.
And the food – at this year’s festival, over three dozen restaurants will be on hand to sample their fare. Restaurants include Creations (featuring smoked corn and leek fondue in mini brioche cups), Guru (offering butter chicken samosas), Niche (serving venison meatballs topped with duck cracklings), Jacek (serving a variety of truffles, such as salted burnt caramel), and the Red Piano (offering red velvet whoopie pies). You can take a look at the full menu here,
Special to the 2011 edition are complimentary Cheese Seminars to be hosted by the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Seminars will offer information, wine pairing suggestions and free Canadian cheese samples.
If you’re interested in attending the festival, make sure to pick up tickets online, which are $5 less than the fee at the door. Sampling coupons (for both liquor and food items) are available on-site at a price of 50 cents each.
I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to give away two tickets that can be used to gain admission to the festival on Friday, October 21, a value of $46. A note about the tickets: they are not transferable to Saturday’s session, and sampling coupons will need to be purchased separately. Also, all attendees must be 18 years or older (minors, including infants, are not permitted).
To enter the contest, simply leave a comment below with why you’d like to attend the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival. The contest closes at 5 p.m. on October 18, 2011. I will contact the winner by e-mail that evening and post the name of the winner here. Good luck!
EDIT: Congratulations, Kim O!
Only Here for the Food 
I guess this event is popular. Chris just had his draw as well! 😀
Sounds like a fun time. Count me in for the draw.
Thanks
Sampling food and wine is my favourite way to spend Fri evenings! I’ve never been around for this event, and this year I actually will be and would love to check it out.
I’ve never been to the festival and would love to go not only to blog about it and enjoy the event for the first time, but it would also make a nice ending to all my midterms 🙂
I tell myself every year that I would like to attend, but somehow October goes by in a blur, and I’ve missed it again. I would love to attend the Festival this year.
Ooooh, I’d love to go, so I am in the contest for sure 🙂 Thanks for sharing this opportunity with us, Sharon, its really generous of you!
I would love to be entered in the contest. I have never been. I enjoy reading your blog 🙂
Yes please! Is there any better way to spend a Friday night than drinking wine and eating good food with a room full of like-minded people? If there is, I’d sure like to know!
I would love to go… because I love food, and I love wine; I’ve lived here for 10 years and have never been able to go!
I would love to attend Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival! I have never heard of this event. I always read about your blog about different events and you made all the events looks/sounds very exciting. Also it is my sister’s birthday soon and I would love to take her there to this experience!
I first attended this event in 2009. It seemed overwhelming to me at the time-I didn’t have the appreciation for local cuisine. Now the local “trend” (actually its more a norm now) is popping up seemingly everywhere, I think I would gain more appreciation by attending the event now. I have gained more knowledge about the food scene here, and would love to learn more. And who doesn’t like food and drink?
Uh, wine tasting, food sampling, and a cheese seminar?? I think the question should be “why WOULDN’T anyone want to go??”
I lost my mom to breast cancer in Juy, and we used to love sampling and drinking wine together. She would have loved this kind of event, and attending it would fill me with warm feelings and memories of my beautiful mother
Our 4th wedding anniversary is next week…this would be the perfect event to celebrate! 🙂
Hi, I’ve never been to the Festival. Funny, I love food and wine but this festival has eluded me.
I would love to attend this event! My boyfriend and I have recently started getting more and more into food and cooking, and it would be a really interesting and fun way for us to try some new things!
I love food and am trying to learn more about wine, so attending this show would be great! The menu looks amazing!
My boyfriend and I are trying to become more aware of food and wine, especially local, in the Edmonton area and would love to attend an event like this, but the tickets are slightly out of our price range. It would be really great to go!
I attended this event a couple of years ago and loved it. It was sensory overload in such a good way for this foodie and wine lover.
However, this year I decided to be practical and not purchase tickets as my husband and I recently purchased a character home and are in full on reno mode and our bank accounts are really reflecting that!
This would be the perfect little escape from our current unpacking and reno reality so thanks for the chance to play.
I have never been to this event and would love to go as I love both food and wine! Cheers!
I’ve always wanted to go because of the good reviews I see every year about the food and wines and the setup of the event but have never had the chance to go.
Sure, I wouldn’t mind going either!
I’m currently in school, and I’d really like to go to this as it would be a nice night off from studying plus it would be nice to have some wine that doesn’t taste like battery acid in a bottle.
Wine and food? Say no more 🙂
I don’t think you really took into the considerations of why people would like to attend the event. Instead, you just use a random number generator!
Yan – I’m sorry you didn’t win; I should have mentioned that this would be a random chance. There were other opportunities (several, actually) to win tickets from other local bloggers – hopefully you were able to enter those other contests as well.
It’s ok Sharon, I just want to state my point. But thank you for the opportunity!